Donald Trump's flight to NYC on 3 April 2023 from Mar-a-Lago, Florida, seemed initially to have all the making of an extraordinary media event. The press was out in force. UK's Sky covered it continuously, with ‘breaking news’ announcements, such as "Trump Force One has just entered the airspace over North Carolina"! Truly extraordinary coverage, … Continue reading Trump’s Flight to New York City: No Media Event
Communication
An ICA Tribute to Elihu Katz
Unparalleled Contributions of Elihu Katz to Studies of Communication Inspired members of the International Communication Association (ICA) are organizing a preconference on the ‘legacies’ of the American-Israeli sociologist, Elihu Katz. This promises to be a fitting and most deserved tribute to his contributions to multiple academic fields, and certainly to the field of communication. My … Continue reading An ICA Tribute to Elihu Katz
Reconfiguring Communication to Level Up the UK
The Role of the Internet in Levelling Up the UK The UK Housing and Communities’ policy paper on Levelling Up the United Kingdom (February 2022) is organised around The UK Housing and Communities’ policy paper on Levelling Up the United Kingdom (February 2022) is organised around specific projects and initiatives in particular nations and regions.[1] … Continue reading Reconfiguring Communication to Level Up the UK
Information Communication and Society (iCS) at 20
I joined up with Brian Loader in 1998 as a co-founder to help launch a new journal, Information Communication and Society(iCS) with Taylor and Francis Routledge. In our first year, we began with four issues per year, and most of our then small number of readers were located in the UK. Since stepping down as … Continue reading Information Communication and Society (iCS) at 20
Broadening Conceptions of Mobile and Its Social Dynamics
Wonderful to see a chapter by me, Frank Hangler, and Ginette Law, entitled ‘Broadening Conceptions of Mobile and Its Social Dynamics’ in Chan, J. M., and Lee, F. L. F. (2017), Advancing Comparative Media and Communication Research (London: Routledge), pp. 142-170. It arrived at my office today. The volume evolved out of an international conference … Continue reading Broadening Conceptions of Mobile and Its Social Dynamics
Why is the panic around echo chambers, filter bubbles, and fake news?
A report we just completed for the Quello Center on 'Search and Politics' concluded that most people are not fooled by fake news, or trapped by filter bubbles or echo chambers. For example, those interested in politics and with some ability in using the Internet and search, generally consult multiple sources for political information, and … Continue reading Why is the panic around echo chambers, filter bubbles, and fake news?
Just Pick Up the Phone
Can You Pick Up the Phone? I’ve written about the lost art of writing with a pen. Now I feel like there is a need to explain in plain English that when you are having difficulties communicating via email or other electronic messaging systems that you can use the telephone, what you may know as … Continue reading Just Pick Up the Phone
Joining the Board of ‘Global Media and Communication’
I am delighted to be joining the International Editorial Advisory Board of Global Media and Communication, an international, peer-reviewed journal that provides a platform for research and debate on the continuously changing global media and communication environment. Its scope includes global aspects of communication and media studies, anthropology, sociology, telecommunications, public policy, migration and diasporic … Continue reading Joining the Board of ‘Global Media and Communication’
Campaign and Political Financing Buys Access, Not Votes
Campaign and Political Financing Buys Access, Not Votes The Democratic Party debates have raised questions on whether Hillary Clinton’s positions on policy issues changed as a consequence of speaking fees and donations to her campaigns. Politicians and media pundits alike remind us that they do not read social science research. The key focus of campaign … Continue reading Campaign and Political Financing Buys Access, Not Votes
The Study of Power Shifts Tied to Communication and Information Technologies
I finally completed an abstract for my talk at the forthcoming conference of the International Communication Association (ICA). It will be the 66th Annual Conference, this one to be held in Fukuoka, Japan, from 9-13 June 2016. The conference theme is 'Communicating with Power', so I chose to speak about my career long interest in … Continue reading The Study of Power Shifts Tied to Communication and Information Technologies